The Book Thief

The Book Thief

Rated PG-13 and Released in Grand Rapids 11/27/13

Reviewed 11/29/13 at Celebration North in Grand Rapids, MI

with Gary

3 1/2 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

While this is a toned down, almost family friendly, depiction of a small German town pre-war 1938 the context of the story almost seems inferred. The acting all around was superb especially by Geoffrey Rush as Hans. The darling Sophie Nelsse as the young girl Liesel was most certainly the star of The Book Thief and we will see her again.

It begins with a tragedy for Liesel while traveling on a train with her little brother and mother. Liesel is then pawned off to a working class German couple with no children and they are to be her new parents. Liesel never comes to understand why her mother abandons her other than they were poor and uneducated Russians. Her new "adopted" father Hans is sweet to her right off the bat and makes her feel welcome. Her new mother Rosa (Emily Watson) is everything but nice and warm. Right from the get go, a cute little blondie German boy named Rudy (Nico Liersch) takes to Liesel and is her instant best friend. He protects her even at the risk and ire of the bullies. Leisel can't read or write and the kids taunt and tease her. When Hans finds out about his daughter's deficiency he begins lessons with her on the side. Her love of books launches immediately and she wants to read every chance she can, even if it means stealing books forbidden by the dreadful Nazis. Then one day a knock on the door changes all their lives forever. A huge debt owed to a family presents a Jewish young man on the run. Max (Ben Schnetzer) takes refuge with them which makes grumpy Rosa very uncomfortable and nastier for the time being. Their lives are at risk with him hiding out there but they don't hesitate to help in spite of this.

Max almost dies from illness while in the family's basement, but really bonds with Liesel over the next few months while sharing their love for books. Even Rosa is affected by Max and warms up so subtly that it might go unnoticed. The account does gloss over the horrors of the time but even so the war is harsh to the inhabitants of the quaint community. Throughout the story, a man's voice is narrating and I thought it was Hans (Geoffrey Rush). I figured out late that it was not, it was supposed to be "death". This might have been helpful if I would have known a little earlier. Despite this and a few other flaws, The Book Thief is a sweetheart of a film that had a lot of lovable moments. It might be too slow paced for some and if you haven't read the book, like I hadn't, then don't be caught off guard by not-everything-being-all-rosy. After all...the narrator is "death".

QUIET Rating system: 3 ½ Js

Quality: JJJJ

Understood story:  JJj

Interest: JJJJ

Entertainment:  JJJj

Time:  JJJ

Delivery Man

Delivery Man

Rated PG-13 and Released in Grand Rapids 11/22/13

Reviewed 11/24/13

with Gary

2 1/2 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

Gary thought this falls somewhere between 3 and 3 1/2. It's not that I didn't like it, but when the genre says comedy I want to laugh - a lot. In spite of this, I still enjoyed the film enough and thought it was humorous for awhile, but then midway it gets more serious and doesn't really swing back.

Vince Vaughn plays single and comfortably average David who by his own account considers himself pretty much a loser. He works in the family meat packing and delivery company. When his "almost" attorney friend Brett (played by deadpan comic Chris Pratt) tells him about a legal situation, things get really interesting. Back in the 90s, David donated to a fertility clinic 500+ times under the code name "Starbuck". To say the clinic overused his sperm is an understatement and as a result he fathered 533 children. 142 of those now young adults are suing to find out the identity of the donor who would be their biological father. Simultaneously, David's sometime girlfriend finds out she is pregnant with his baby. This will bring his kids total to a 534. Bland Brett (who is a hoot and I really wish he was in the flick more) is working to fight off the lawsuit that has become public and everyone is dissing poor Starbuck/David. Meanwhile loan sharks are after David to pay off a $100,000 debt. As a result, the pair scheme to get some fast money by suing the clinic for damages. The plot that is so ridiculous doesn't take away from liking these two lovable teddy bear guys.  If you cling to Gary's recommendation and see Delivery Man now you won't be disappointed. I say you can see it now and find it amusing, or save this little bit bumpy one for home.

QUIET Rating System: 2 1/2 Js

Quality: JJ

Understood story:  JJJ

Interest: JJj

Entertainment:  JJJ

Time:  JJj

Catching Fire

Catching Fire

Rated R and Released in Grand Rapids 11/21/13

Reviewed 11/22/13 at Star Theatre

Gary and I

3 1/2 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

Aaron and Danelle

4 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

The first Hunger Games caught the attention of audiences after so many had read the books. This far surpasses our expectation. A more creative adaptation than the first, Gary and I both thought the writing was brilliant. Danelle said she liked how it didn't have as much gory kid violence as the first. While it was long at 146 minutes, this was one of the rare times when I didn't want a lengthy flick to end. Jennifer Lawrence has matured as an actress since the first, but still does well playing the young teen heroine Katniss Everdeen in this second installment. Every actor is worth mentioning; they are all so good.

Champions Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) have to continue playing the boyfriend and girlfriend to fool the totalitarian President Snow (Donald Sutherland) along with the rest of the districts. Their lives and their families' lives depend on the ruse. The two living in oppressed District 12 are in a youthful love triangle, Peeta love-struck with Katniss while Katniss and Gale (Liam Hensworth) have strong affection for each other. It is post 74th games and the novelty of the victory is wearing off, but only for Katniss. Still having the same old problems in District 12 with poverty, hunger, and dominance by the Capital are at the forefront. President Snow wants to keep it that way. Enter Plutarch Heavensbee, played superbly by Philip Seymour Hoffman, the failed Gamemaster's replacement. He convinces the ever suspicious President Snow on how to deal with the districts and squash the rebellion. He also has ideas on how to get the lovebirds back to the games. Since Snow wants to be rid of Katniss he goes along with Plutarch to get this resolved and feels it's too risky to have the other districts looking to brave Katniss for hope. Thank goodness for the special 75th games, called a quarter quell, to solve the problem. All of the previous winners that are still alive have to put their names back in the hat so to speak; basically an All-star lineup. No surprise, Katniss and Peeta are going back once again. Fighting again, to the death, was not on the wish list for Katniss Everdeen.

Escorted by the old team - Flamboyant, Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and the witty but always drunk Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) - the pair is whizzed via train straight to the Capital. Stanley Tucci (my favorite this time around) plays eccentric Caesar Flickerman, the MC for the games. His commentary during game preparations adds a touch of humor that breaks things up a bit with the rest of the stoic characters. After pre-game activities for the fighters, it's time to begin. The display is streamed live for sadistic and gory entertainment for the Capital residents. But for the remaining districts it is meant as a grim reminder about the past. Their plan to team up with other competitors begins almost immediately for Katniss and Peeta. It takes these two a while though to catch onto what is really transpiring. After a few deaths, their team gets a little broader and they are beginning to figure out the man-made world. She is knocked unconscious, but Katniss is one tough cookie. It's going to take a lot to take her out, but it doesn't take as much to pull one over on her. She wakes us in a Capital hovercraft shuttle whizzing through the skies with a few others on board, including someone very unexpected. This sets up #3. Unbeknownst to her, Katniss was at the center of the master plan for the rebellion. It has begun. Catching Fire was an exhilarating and compelling story so let's hope the next one is just as good. The only disappointment about the movie was the fact we have to wait another year for the next one.

QUIET Rating system: 3 ½ Js

Quality: JJJj

Understood story:  JJJj

Interest: JJJJ

Entertainment:  JJJJ

Time:  JJJ

The Best Man Holiday

The Best Man Holiday

Rated R and Released in Grand Rapids 11/15/13

Reviewed 11/20/13 at Celebration North in Grand Rapids, MI

with Gary and Denny

2 1/2 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

The Tyler Perry-like movie is a sequel to The Best Man some 14 years later. The genre says comedy and it does have some hilarious scenes - for the first half - but then it transitions into a melodrama and leaves out the humor. The ever smooth Taye Diggs (Harper) and Morris Chestnut (Lance) play longtime friends and do a fine job, but talented Terrence Howard (Quentin) is a scene stealer.

The story has a subtle moral message which is always a pleasant surprise, but I wish they wouldn't mix it in with unnecessary crudeness that diminishes the value. Director and writer Malcolm Lee could have lightened up the raunch and made it PG-13 (not to mention cutting about 20 minutes out of the 124) and it would have made this a much-improved film.

The history between Lance and Harper has left for some unfinished business. Lance, a successful pro football player, has a luxurious life married to Mia (Monica Calhoun) with four charming kids. They are hosting Christmas for their friends and Mia is hopeful this will put the past in the past. They all start arriving to the lovely New York mansion, but the problem is they are all intertwined a little too much to be under the same roof. At the forefront is the best-selling author Harper, who is hiding the fact he's broke, including leaving his nine-month pregnant wife Candace (Regina Hall) in the dark! After everyone arrives, it doesn't take long for misunderstandings, scandal, and drama to jumpstart. Nothing is getting resolved and this makes gracious host Mia increasingly frustrated. The pinnacle of the story is Lance's football game on Christmas Day. He is about to retire and the game is a set-up for him to break the all-time rushing record, but to him this is insignificant in the game of life. The comedy has already ended, but now starts the heartache. Get ready to bring out the Kleenex! And don't jump out of your chair until the credits role because you might be sitting back down a couple times. Even though it was an emotional roller coaster, all three of us were fond of The Best Man Holiday. However, you could see it now or save it for home. Just realize this is not going to be a gather-the-family-around light Christmas classic. Save this one for after the kids are off to bed.

QUIET Rating system: 2 1/2 Js

Quality: JJ

Understood story:  JJ

Interest: JJJj

Entertainment:  JJJj

Time:  Jj

All is Lost

All is Lost

Rated PG-13 and Released in Grand Rapids 11/8/13

Reviewed 11/14/13 at Celebration North in Grand Rapids, MI

with Gary, Kim and Steve

3 1/2 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

There is not a great deal to review with the cast and actors of this tense action drama. It's all Robert Redford and we don't even know his character's name. This is an ambitious film with very little dialogue and what a test for Redford at 77. We all liked it, although Kim and I probably appreciated it more than Steve and Gary. I think Gary dozed in between words and conversely since not much conversation on screen, Steve gladly filled in the gaps.

Redford is out in the middle of the Indian Ocean sailing alone. We don't know the reason behind this trip, we can only assume for solitude and his love of sailing. I have a hard time identifying with either so hopefully I appreciated the gutsy journey of this story enough. Redford's sailboat getting rammed by a huge drifting shipping container sets into motion his stream of unforeseen bad luck. Examining the damage, and repairing over and over again, is the theme throughout the eight day ordeal. Determined, yet never panicking with each challenge thrown his way, you have insight into what he is thinking through his actions and expressions versus what is said. All is Lost is nerve-racking and edgy to the end and confirmation, to me anyway, on reasons never to go sailing on a small boat in the middle of the ocean. Certainly not alone!

QUIET Rating system: 3 1/2 Js

Quality: JJJJ

Understood story:  JJJj

Interest: JJJ

Entertainment:  JJj

Time:  JJJj